Drive and suspension means



May 21, 1935.

A. C. PETERSON DRIVE AND SUSPENSION MEANS Original Filed May 1, 1929 Patented May 21,1935

. Application May li 1929, Serial No. 359,679

1 v I Renewed October 1'7, 1934 '6 Claims. (01. 18022) My invention relates to drive and suspension means/M .Theprincipal objects of myinven'tion are to provide a suspension means for automotive vehicles of the road or rail typeand to provide in connection therewith a particularform of drive means which shall form an improved combina-.

tion of drive and suspension means. A particular object is to provide a suspension means which is particularly adapted to automobiles and busses and also is adapted to rail cars and has particular. smoothness in its suspension and istherefore an improved form of suspension means. A particu-' lar object is to provide a form of drive means which is particularly adapted to driving busses and also to the driving of rail cars where there is particularly required a. form of drive means which will not'occupy much space and which also has the advantage that the drive means may be removed quickly and a substitute driving means installed. A particular object of the invention is to provide a form of "driving truck for the driving and suspension of busses of the six or eight wheeled type and whichis also adapted to the suspension and driving of rail carswhere one or. two trucks of four or more wheels is required. The particular devices and combinations of devices comprising my invention are as hereinafter described and as defined in the claims. In the accompanying drawing. which illustrates; my invention like characters, ref er to like parts throughout the several views. r i

Referring to the drawingz 1 L Figure 1 is a plan view of? a truck embodying my invention this truck being shown-attached to one memberof the frame of an automobile buss or rail car, someparts being broken' away'some being in section on the line l'l ofFiggZ. x

Figure 2 is a vertical section along. line 2-4 in Figure 1, through the principal membersof the suspension means at one corner of the truck and one side central part.

Figure 3 is a detail view showingavertical section on the dotted line 3- 3 in Fig. 2 on part N in Figure 2 it I Referring again to the drawing; the numeral I indicates an axle at. one endof the truck, and the'numeral 2 indicates anaxle at the other end of the truck. The axles l and 2 are as shown each of them offset forwardly in the case of one and rearwardly'in the caseof the otherfrom' the axis line of the two wheels which are supported upon the axle. The axle l has end parts 3 which are bent and have formed therewiththe spindlesupporting disks 4 which have formed therewith tubes! which constitute the wheel supporting spindle. These spindles 5 support upon them wheels 6 which may be the usual type of buss pneumatic tired wheel or maybe the railroad type of flanged car wheel. The buss type of wheel is illustrated. The axle 2 has endparts 1 which are bent andhave formed therewith the spindle supporting disks 8 and haveformed therewith tubes 9 which constitute the wheel supporting spindles. These spindles 9 support upon them wheels ll), 1 which may be of the same type as those supported upon the spindles 5. i The axles i and 2 are preferably each made as shown of two integrally wrought or forged or cast steel flat bars. the bars having at their ends welded to them or formed integrally with them the end parts 3and 'lrespectively. 9

The supporting disks 4 and Beach have constructed integrallytherewith inwardly projecting radius rod bearings H and llrespectively. Each axle l and 2 have fixed thereto or forged therewith in line transversely acrossthe axles with e the radius rod bearings II or l2. counterpart radius rod bearings l3 and-l4 respectively. The

radius rod bearings described are thus located in pairs, one pair near each wheelsupporting a disk, and there are thus four pairs of these radius rod bearings. The pairs at the opposite ends of axle l-have related to them radiusrods l5, l6, eachvof which is trunnioned in its pair of bear: ings so that the axle end may have oscillation'on the radius rod about an axis which is transverse of the axle near the wheelsupporting disk and so that the axle i may move upward or downward at either end of it on the radius rod as a bearing but theaxle I may not turn about its own axis but is prevented therefrom by its support by i the radiusrod. Similarly radius rods I1, I8 are trunnioned inthe radius rodbearings related to the axle 2 and they prevent the axle 2 from turn- 40 ing about its own-axis but permits either end of axle 2 to rise or fall pivoting upon the radius'rod as a bearing. ,1 i r The. radius rods l5, iii are at their inner ends supported and trunnioned upon bearings I9, 20 fixed upon the truck end frames 2|, 22.- The radius rods I], I8 areat their inner ends supported and trunnioned upon the same bearings I 9, 20 the inner ends of one of the pairs of radius rods being forked for that purpose. The-bearings i9, 20 are upon an horizontal axis andpermit the radius rods to have oscillation in the vertical plane. The truckend frames 2|, 22 are curved as shown in the vertical planes at the sides of the truck andthe extreme end of each is raised above end being denoted 45.

the axle end related to it. These ends of the truck end frames 2 I, 22 are located at or near the four corners of the truck and they have at these four corners sockets 23, with which are related balls 2 t.

The four balls 24 with their sockets 23 constitute ball and socket joints and constitute a suspension of the four corners or ends of the truck end frames upon four air cylinders 25 each of which is attached to its related ball 24. The four air cylinders 25 are rather large and have reciprocable within them four pistons 26, these having related four rods Z'l. The rods Zl are short and have attached thereto-at their lower ends four sockets 28 related to four-balls 29. The balls 29 are attached to or formed integrally with the extreme outer ends of the radius rods. Thus each radius rod has at its outer end or free'end a ball and socket joint connecting it with a piston 26 reciprocable in an air cylinder 25 the upper end of which is connected by 'a ball and socket joint with one corner of the truck frame. The truck frame is formed by the truck end frames 2t, '22 and two transverse or cross members 30,31, near the forward and rear end of the truck respectively. The truckend frames have depending bars 32 which form slides or guides againstwhich the radius rods may oscillate in the vertical plane, these guides preventing lateral movement relatively. l

-The cross members of-the frame form a support for an engine crank case 33 and attached clutch and/or clutch gear boxes '34, 35, the cross members being firmly attached to the clutch gear boxes 3 35,.so that the crank case 33 and clutch gear boxes are" thus held relatively rigidly in a horizontal plane and in substantially the same planeas the cross members 3fil,'3l. The crank case and clutch gear boxes are so supported that they extend with their axes from front to rear substantially at the center relative to the track of the'truck. The crank case has attached to its sides in thehorizontal plane cylinder block's 35,

- 31 one at each side of the axis and crank case, and

each cylinder block has preferably'three cylinders formed in it, these cylinders being diagrammatically illustrated by the dotted lines.

,The'crank case 33 and clutch'gear boxes 34, 35 have related to them'and attached rigidly thereto at the, forward and rear ends respectively, two

' differential cases 38, 39 which have within them worms as, 'll driving wheels 42, 43 the worms being preferably on theupper sides of the wheels. The supporting of the worms and wheels is not particularly shown, nor is the differential inconnection shown it being contemplatedthat any form may *beused. The construction within the crankcase and clutch gear boxes and differential cases ismrely diagrammaticallyshown it being contemplated that anyform may be used and that'thisform is not material, the crank case clutchgear boxes and two differential cases however constituting one rigid assembly supporting 7 these engine and clutch and gear parts within.

From each differential case Cardan shafts extend laterally to the sides of the truck just within the axle related, "Cardan shafts at one end being denoted M and Cardan shafts at the other The Cardan shafts 44 are in 'the'axis line of their related pair of wheels 6 and the Cardan shafts 45 are in the axis line of their related pair of Wheels Ill. The Cardan shafts have universal joints 36 near the differential cases anduniversalv joints 4! near their outer ends, that is near the wheels 6 or ID. "The diagrammatically only.

The truck end frames 2 l, 22 have at their central portions, ball and socket joints 48, there being two of these joints one on each side of the truck frame at the central portion of the truck end frame on that side of the truck. These ball and socket joints by means of rods 49 are attached to or connected with pistons 50 which are reciprocable vertically in cylinders of which there are two one at each side of the truck. The cylinders fil have at their upper ends firm or rigid-support on the under side of chassis frame member 52 this chassis frame member diagrammatically illustrating a buss frame or body or a rail car body or frame to which the truck is attached as a support for one end thereof. The 'buss or rail car will have a similar truck at its other end or merely a suspension truck or wheels at its other end, this not being shown however.

a The two cylinders 5| have'in their upper ends ports controlled by non-return valves 53 delivering from the cylinder into conduits 54, and small auxiliary ports 55 likewise deliver into the conduits 54. The conduits 54 are by flexible conduits 56 connected with an air pressure reservoir 51. The cylinders 25 at the corners of the truck each have ports delivering therefrom controlled by non-return valves 58, the delivery being to conduits 59 in the upper ends of the cylinders. Each of these four cylinders 25 has also a small port .60 delivering to the conduit 59 and has also ports El in the sides of the cylinders delivering to conduits 59. The conduits 59 deliver to and receive air from flexible conduits 62 which are also connected to the air pressure reservoir 57. Thus each cylinder 25 and each of the two cylinders 5i may deliver air quickly to their respective conduits and thus to reservoir 5'! through the non-return controlled ports, but may receivev air'under pressure at a slower. pace by means of the small continuously open ports described. Also the four cylinders 25 may have additional delivery through the ports 6| in their sides so that delivery from cylinders 25 becomes gradually less in volume or rate as the pistons in these cylinders 25rise and cover the ports in the sides of the cylinders 25. All the suspension cylinders may at any time receive air from the reservoir through the small ports. The pressure in the reservoiris kept up by means of an air pressure supply conduit 63 which receives air under a constant pressure from any source of supply upon the chassis or body, this not being shown. It is contemplated that this air supply may be variable at the will of the'operator to provide different carrying capacity depending upon the loading. :The cylinders 5| and 25 should be so proportioned that the weight will be properly supported. Either the cylinders 25 or the cylinders 5! may be so proportioned that any road shock will be first taken by one of them, preferably however the cylinders 25 are so proportioned that they will have slightly less carrying capacity than the cylinders 5! and therefore they will first yield to the shock and take theminor road shocks, or-unevenness.

The engine cylinders receive an operating fluid from a conduit 64, it being contemplated that the engine may be operated by steam or air' pressure or by air and fuel as an ordinary internal combustion engine or by combined air'pressure and internal combustion this being upon the system which is determined to be most applicable. Clutch and gears in the clutch gear boxes may or may not be provided in accordancewith the system used. The engine crank case has its crank shaft trunnioned on an axis therein from front to rear of the truck, this not being illustrated, and drives through the gears in the differential cases the Cardan shafts which are universally jointed and these drive the wheels 6 and Ill, the Cardan shafts permitting the wheels 6 and Ill to rise or lower with their axles l or 2 relative to the engine and differential case assembly, the latter being rigidly mounted with the truck frame comprised of the truck end frames and their cross members. The cylinders 25 take the lighter shocks o-r upward movement of the axles and the cylinders 5i take some of the shock between the truck frame and the chassis or body members.

While I have shown particular devices and combinations of devices in the illustration of my invention I contemplate that other detailed devices and combinations of devices may be used in the realization thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a drive means, a motor having cylinders placed in a horizontal plane and having rigid suspension in a frame and having geared drive means at each end of the motor, a pair of wheels at each end of the frame yieldably mounted relative thereto, a pair of Cardan shafts at one end of the frame having driving connection between one pair of wheels and one geared drive means, and a pair of Cardan shafts at the other end of the frame having driving connection with the other pair of wheels.

2. In a drive means, a pair of axles, bearing wheels at their ends, a motor having cylinders in a horizontal plane suspended between the axles and having drive means at each end, a pair of Cardan shafts in the axis line of one pair of wheels and having connection between one drive means and the pair of wheels, and a pair of Cardan shafts in the axis line of the other pair of wheels and having connection between the other drive means and the pair of wheels.

3. A driving truck comprising a pair of axles each having wheels at each end, a driving motor having a driving shaft mounted between the tudinally in a frame and having geared drive means at each end of the motor, a pair of wheels at each end of the frame yieldably mounted relative thereto, a pair of Cardan shafts at one end of the frame having driving connection between one pair of wheels and one geared drive means, and a pair of Cardan shafts at the other end of the frame having driving connection with the other pair of wheels.

.5. In a drive means, a pair of axles bearing wheels mounted at their ends, a motorhaving a crank shaft in a horizontal plane and suspended longitudinally between the axles and having drive means at each end, apair of Cardan shafts in the axis line of one pair of wheels and having connection between one drive means and the pair of Wheels, and a pair of Cardan shafts in the axis line of the other pair of wheels and having connection between the other drive means and the pair of wheels.

6. A driving truck comprising a pair of axles each having wheels at each end, a driving motor having a driving shaft mounted between the axles and at right angles thereto and having cylinders located with their axes at right angles to i ADOLPHE C. PETERSON. 

